Linda Somers

Linda Somers
Personal information
Nationality USA
Born (1961-05-07) May 7, 1961
Bitburg, Germany
Height 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight 47.5 kg (105 lb)
Sport
Country USA
Event(s) Cross Country, Marathon
Team Asics Aggies
Turned pro 1984
Achievements and titles
World finals 1995, Marathon, 7th
National finals 1993, Marathon, 1st
1994, Marathon, 1st
Olympic finals 1996, Marathon, 31st

Linda Somers-Smith (born May 7, 1961 in Bitburg Air Force Base, Rhineland-Palatinate) is an American long-distance runner who is a two-time United States national champion in the marathon.[1][2] Somers competed in the marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics. She also won the 1992 Chicago Marathon (2:37:41) and the 1993 California International Marathon (2:34:11).[3] Somers is notable as she is one of the very few athletes who has continued running at the elite level since she turned Pro in 1984 into the transition to Masters athlete. She continues to win and place in Open competition, even at the age of 50, all the while as a practicing attorney.

She has run in seven US Olympic Trials Marathons and in the 2008 Boston venue she set the United States 45-49 age group record (2:38:49)* placing 17th. She continues to show impressive results, placing sixth in the Open US Club Nationals Cross Country meet in 2009* (Lexington,KY), and setting age group road records in the 5K (16:14, San Jose 11/26/2009)*, the 10k (33:39, Paso Robles,CA 9/26/2010), 10 Miles (57:07 Redding, CA 3/6/2010) and the Half Marathon (1:13:32, Rock 'n Roll San Jose Half Marathon, CA 10/3/2010).

Somers qualified for her seventh consecutive US Olympic Trials A Standard, a record number, while winning the Masters title (sixth place overall finish ) in the 2010 Los Angeles Marathon (2:36:33). On January 14, 2012, at the age of 50, she finished in 28th place at the USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Houston with a time of 2:37:36, another American Age Group Record.

Somers was inducted into the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Hall of Fame on March 17, 2012. Later in 2012 she was inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame.[4]

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing the  United States
1992 Chicago Marathon Chicago, United States 1st Marathon 2:37:41
1993 California International Marathon Sacramento, United States 1st Marathon 2:34:11
1994 Grandma's Marathon Duluth, United States 1st Marathon 2:33:42
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 7th Marathon 2:32:12
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 31st Marathon 2:36:58

References

External links

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